Center of Attention
By Zack Cziryak
Trove Sports Correspondent
Jayla Jones-Pack
Photo by Chris Bergmann
The last year has been a whirlwind for Jayla Jones-Pack, a 6’3” center out of Amityville N.Y. and St. Anthony’s High School in Long Island, who has seen interest in her game from major college programs reach its apex as her junior year wound down and the summer began.
The rising senior recently made life a little easier by narrowing her list of college choices to Minnesota, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Rutgers and Seton Hall.
“I felt like this list was for me,” Jones-Pack said of her final six choices. “I could see myself playing at each one of these schools.”
With unofficial visits already in the books at Seton Hall and Rutgers, Jones-Pack said she will take official visits to the remaining four schools over the next several months before making a final decision during the fall signing period.
The ESPN 3 star recruit noted that she immediately was able to establish a rapport with Seton Hall Head Coach Tony Bozzella and his staff feeling very comfortable with them.
“What stands out about Seton Hall is that when I talk to Coach (Lauren) DeFalco, I feel like I’m speaking out to one of my friends. I also have a good relationship with Coach B. We’ve only been in touch for a year but it feels like I’ve known them forever.”
Seton Hall was also the first school to reach out to Jones-Pack. While interest from other schools and programs has increased in the intervening months, Seton Hall’s early pursuit remains in the back of her mind.
“Seton Hall has been here since day one so I really respect them for that.”
The relationships the rising senior will forge with her coaching staff and future teammates will go a long way in helping her make a college decision, according to Jones-Pack, an aspiring business owner who will major in that pursuit in college. For her, fit and the ability to enjoy the collegiate experience both on and off the court will be of the utmost importance.
“Whatever feels right,” she notes. “I want to major in business wherever I go. I‘m looking for a great relationship with the coaching staff and my teammates and I want to enjoy my four years of college.”
Guiding Jones-Pack through the recruitment process has been her mother Kim Jones, a single-parent following the death of her daughter’s father at age 7. It was her mother that convinced her to play in the CYO league in sixth grade and served as her first coach.
Jones-Pack also receives guidance from her uncle, Shelton Jones, a former St. John’s standout that spent time in the NBA before completing a long professional career overseas and domestically.
Former St John's star Shelton Jones in the NBA
www.fanbase.com
A late bloomer, Jones-Pack said her strengths on the court begin on the defensive side of the ball, altering and blocking shots in the lane while cleaning the glass. While Pack-Jones admits she needs work on her handle, she’s confident she has the touch to shoot from as far out as the three point line, a rarity for a young women with her size.
“I’m stronger on the defensive side right now, but I know how to score the ball too,” said Jones-Pack, who averaged more than 10 points per game last year.
The St Anthony's star is eager to get on the court at the college level and prove herself, admitting that she would understand a logjam in the post at whichever school she chooses to attend but still she feels confident in her ability to "make waves" for her program from the start.
“I definitely don’t want to go to a school and just sit on the bench. If I have to wait and earn it I understand, but I feel like I can make an impact early and will want to play.”
A perfect match for Tony Bozzella's up and coming defending Big East regular season champions which features talented and highly ranked guards and swings and is looking to compliment that with quality size.
By Zack Cziryak
Trove Sports Correspondent
Jayla Jones-Pack
Photo by Chris Bergmann
The last year has been a whirlwind for Jayla Jones-Pack, a 6’3” center out of Amityville N.Y. and St. Anthony’s High School in Long Island, who has seen interest in her game from major college programs reach its apex as her junior year wound down and the summer began.
The rising senior recently made life a little easier by narrowing her list of college choices to Minnesota, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Rutgers and Seton Hall.
“I felt like this list was for me,” Jones-Pack said of her final six choices. “I could see myself playing at each one of these schools.”
With unofficial visits already in the books at Seton Hall and Rutgers, Jones-Pack said she will take official visits to the remaining four schools over the next several months before making a final decision during the fall signing period.
The ESPN 3 star recruit noted that she immediately was able to establish a rapport with Seton Hall Head Coach Tony Bozzella and his staff feeling very comfortable with them.
“What stands out about Seton Hall is that when I talk to Coach (Lauren) DeFalco, I feel like I’m speaking out to one of my friends. I also have a good relationship with Coach B. We’ve only been in touch for a year but it feels like I’ve known them forever.”
Seton Hall was also the first school to reach out to Jones-Pack. While interest from other schools and programs has increased in the intervening months, Seton Hall’s early pursuit remains in the back of her mind.
“Seton Hall has been here since day one so I really respect them for that.”
The relationships the rising senior will forge with her coaching staff and future teammates will go a long way in helping her make a college decision, according to Jones-Pack, an aspiring business owner who will major in that pursuit in college. For her, fit and the ability to enjoy the collegiate experience both on and off the court will be of the utmost importance.
“Whatever feels right,” she notes. “I want to major in business wherever I go. I‘m looking for a great relationship with the coaching staff and my teammates and I want to enjoy my four years of college.”
Guiding Jones-Pack through the recruitment process has been her mother Kim Jones, a single-parent following the death of her daughter’s father at age 7. It was her mother that convinced her to play in the CYO league in sixth grade and served as her first coach.
Jones-Pack also receives guidance from her uncle, Shelton Jones, a former St. John’s standout that spent time in the NBA before completing a long professional career overseas and domestically.
Former St John's star Shelton Jones in the NBA
www.fanbase.com
A late bloomer, Jones-Pack said her strengths on the court begin on the defensive side of the ball, altering and blocking shots in the lane while cleaning the glass. While Pack-Jones admits she needs work on her handle, she’s confident she has the touch to shoot from as far out as the three point line, a rarity for a young women with her size.
“I’m stronger on the defensive side right now, but I know how to score the ball too,” said Jones-Pack, who averaged more than 10 points per game last year.
The St Anthony's star is eager to get on the court at the college level and prove herself, admitting that she would understand a logjam in the post at whichever school she chooses to attend but still she feels confident in her ability to "make waves" for her program from the start.
“I definitely don’t want to go to a school and just sit on the bench. If I have to wait and earn it I understand, but I feel like I can make an impact early and will want to play.”
A perfect match for Tony Bozzella's up and coming defending Big East regular season champions which features talented and highly ranked guards and swings and is looking to compliment that with quality size.
